


Unlucky in Love

by DameoftheDark



Series: Dani Phantom [6]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: AU where danny sam and tucker are the opposide gender, F/M, I clearly don't know how rating works, Mild Language, very mild sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 06:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15679554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DameoftheDark/pseuds/DameoftheDark
Summary: A few weeks after her encounter with Spectra, Dani is feeling much better about her relationship with Vlad. However, being a teenager doesn't allow her any time for emotional relief; now she has to contend with great disappointment and a bit of loneliness. Because of his hasty move to Amity Park, Vlad's workload has only piled up, and while enjoying a meal at the Nasty Burger, Dani finds out that he's canceled their training session for the second week in a row. It doesn't help matters when Dash and Paulina seemingly flaunt their relationship in everyone's faces. However, Dani soon realizes that Paulina is being overshadowed by Kitty---Johnny 13's scorned girlfriend. Despite the odd circumstances, the young half ghost learns a thing or two about what love means to a ghost, and Kitty reveals a truth that finally eases the young heroine's conscience.





	Unlucky in Love

As September came to a close, the leaves surrendered their luscious green hues for warm reds, yellows, oranges and browns, signifying the end of Summer. They split from the trees and danced with the chilled breeze and blustery winds. The dried nuisances ended up in yards, on the streets, covering windshields, and brushing passed the faces of Amity Park’s inhabitants, greatly annoying them in turn. The temperature also dropped steadily, with the hot, humid air gradually dying away, giving way for a shudder-inducing one. This meant that everyone in town was wearing sweaters, and some went so far as to layer-up; those of weaker constitutions (or wimps who couldn’t handle the cold of Fall) chose to leave the house in sweaters and winter jackets in tandem. For many of Amity Park’s youth, however, a simple hoodie sufficed.

This was the case of one Dani Fenton, who paired her favorite t-shirt and jeans with her bubblegum pink hoodie. Tucker also adopted the look; she wore an emerald green sweatshirt with a bold yellow print, reading _Get Freaky_ , over her signature yellow blouse. In place of her cargo shorts, the computer geek sported grey denim jeans. Sam, being the nonconformist, dressed all in black; a thick black scarf wrapped around his long neck, and a plain black t-shirt hugged his lanky form. Darker-than-black jeans that clung to his thin legs were tucked into a pair of combat boots with tiny silver chains dangling from the backs of the collars. His favorite dark trench coat completed the aesthetic, making him appear taller than he actually was.

The trio felt the autumn air coming, instilling excitement in the teenagers---Halloween was right around the corner! For the young heroine, Halloween was her favorite holiday. She had quite the sweet tooth, and loved dressing up in crazy costumes, as well as trick or treating. However, being 16 meant that it was no longer socially acceptable to participate in the candy-collecting activity; instead, she was expected to go to parties. Naturally, Dani wasn’t invited out of parties, so she and her friends mainly watched scary movies all night long, with the host picking the films. Since freshman year, the trio had a tradition of switching from house to house, starting with Sam, who come up with the idea. Last year, it was Tucker’s turn, and the group got sick on soda and various sweets as they watched bad horror movie after bad horror movie. The geek liked to call it a so-bad-it’s-scary night.

This year, however, it was Dani’s turn. She was already anticipating the month’s end so she could host the next movie night. She had already picked out one of the films they would be watching, _Halloween_ , intending to go with the classics. It made her tickle inside, knowing that this Halloween would be **her** Halloween, and she planned on enjoying it to the fullest. She even humored inviting Vlad over.

_But I don’t know if he would be into that kind of thing. He may not like horror movies, anyway._

Still, a girl could dream.

She had been feeling a lot better about her relationship with the older tycoon since the Spectra incident a few weeks ago. It also helped that no one was calling her a “slut” anymore; now the talk of the school was Dash and Paulina, seeing as they recently announced they were going out.

This, of course, made the ghost girl want to vomit.

Despite her avid dislike for the new couple, Dani couldn’t help but image her and Vlad in their place. Now that she was no longer guilty about her mushy (if at times, sensual) daydreams, she allowed herself to indulge whenever she wanted. Granted, this was **all the time**.

As the trio meandered to school that particular frigid morning, the younger half ghost recalled her second training session with the older man, causing her heart to race and to produce a sweet smile. Unlike the first one, this lesson went off without a hitch, increasing the girl’s self-assurance even more, regarding both her powers and the charming billionaire.

When she arrived at the haughty abode, she was fresh off her encounter with Spectra, and still feeling a little anxious. Though a number of her doubts had been eliminated, the young heroine couldn’t help but fixating on one matter---whether or not she could live up to his expectations. She knew Vlad cared about her, and held her in high regard. If she were to disappoint him in anyway, her world would come to an end. _The world might as well keep going, ‘cause I wouldn’t be going along with it_ , she thought to herself.

Nevertheless, the girl steeled herself and phased through his door. Was it impolite to enter without being invited? Probably. But Dani knew that if she had knocked, she may have chickened out.

Drifting through the foyer and into the living room, the young half ghost saw no sign of the billionaire. Puzzled, she made her way to the lounge, then the dining room, kitchen, then back to the foyer again. Where was he?

She supposed she could’ve checked upstairs, but that felt too invasive.

_Right, like I hadn’t just broken in a few minutes ago._

There was one room she hadn’t tried yet; a door that lead to an unknown area, just off the curved stairway. She had seen this door twice before, but the eccentric bachelor hadn’t shown her inside. She figured it could be a closet, but she had to be sure.

The younger half ghost, taking a deep breath, phased through the dark brown door, finding herself in what, undeniably, was an office or study. Just like in Vlad’s castle in Wisconsin, the furniture was arranged in the same manner; two couches faced one another in the center of the room, with a coffee table and rug filling in the middle. Books lined the walls, stored on black walnut bookcases, with various nick-nacks adorning the shelves. And, of course, the brilliant mahogany desk sitting in front of the window, facing the door. In fact, the only difference between the layout of this room and the previous one was the fireplace that embellished a part of the left wall.

Sitting at the desk was Vlad Masters, looking hard at work. His concentration was blatant, typing away at his computer as if he hadn’t worked in days and needed to catch up. His face was calm, however, for his features did not appear strained in any way. Rather, he was tranquil, yet still appearing focused and serious.

The ghost girl could have stared at him for hours; his studious navy orbs were fixed on the screen, but it was an enchanting display of the focus she loved and admired in him. His long silver hair had her transfixed, as she found herself longing to feel it’s silky smooth texture. She wondered what it would look like if he let it down?

Vlad’s presence alone warmed her heart and made her stomach cartwheel. The vital organ also deemed it necessary to send more blood to her face, thus turning it a quaint shade of pink.

Then the billionaire glanced up, reminding the heroine of a stunned guppy when he caught her in his sights. He ceased typing, for it seemed that astute focus of his was now on her and her alone. His eyes blinked into a wide-eyed stare, instilling tense nerves in the teenager---ones that kindled giddiness and anxious anticipation.

“Danielle?” Vlad asked, as if he hadn’t seen her in many moons.

“H-hey! I’m here,” the girl replied in a near squeak. She mental kicked herself in the shin.

“Yes. Yes of course, your training! Forgive me Danielle, I’ve been up to my neck in reports and emails. I haven’t had time to arrange everything,” he explained.

“That’s all right. And, sorry for just popping in. I was just so ner---I mean **excited** to get this session started!”

“It’s quite alright, little badger. My door is always open; you can come and go as you please,” he proclaimed, bearing a tender smile.

“O-oh…cool,” she said clumsily, not knowing how else to express her pleasure.

“Now then,” the tycoon began, rising from his seat. “Shall we get started?”

“I’m not interfering with your work, am I?”

“Of course not, Danielle. I don’t have much left as it were,” he enlightened as he made his way over to her. “I can finish later.”

“O.K., I just didn’t want to be a burden or something,” Dani stated while rubbing the back of her neck.

“That’s nonsense. If you were a burden to me, you would know it,” the older bachelor refuted, furrowing his brow.

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, you don’t exactly waste your time on things that vex you,” the girl commented as she let her arm drop to her side.

“Indeed,” he smirked.

Vlad walked passed the floating teenager and opened the door, allowing the ghost girl to make her exit first. She knew she could’ve just gone through it, but was she really going to pass up the opportunity of walking through a door her crush had opened for her? No way Jose.

After the older half ghost shut his office door, he and his protégé trekked down to the basement and back into the training room. Just as expected, the space was void of the red exercise mats, flaming hoops, and wooden dummies on metal pegs. The eccentric billionaire busied himself with fetching the mats, and instructed Dani to collect the remote control from the lab. Following directions, the younger half ghost flew into the adjacent lab and retrieved the device, excitement building in her core. After emitting a happy squeal, she soared back into the training room, seeing her mentor roll out the last of three red mats and then huffed out an exhale, placing his large hands to his hips. Suddenly, the young girl got an idea.

Mischief etched its way into her features.

Turning invisible, she crept slowly to the older man’s back. Endeavoring to suppress a snicker, Dani hovered at his eye level, swerving slightly so she was at his left. Then, she brought her gloved hands up in the typical “Fear Me” gesture, and abruptly turned visible.

“BOO!”

Vlad gazed at her nonchalantly, watching her for a good minute.

“Nothin’ huh?” the teenager asked.

“Nice try, Danielle,” the billionaire responded.

Sighing defeatedly, Dani hung her head low.

_And to think, it would have been so funny to see him totally freaked out. Guess it takes more than that to scare him._

The older man took the remote from his pupil and activated the room, bringing out the same obstacles Dani faced two days prior.

“Alright, I adjusted our training regimen for the next couple of months. To begin with, I want you to run through the course at both the beginning **and** end of our sessions. This way, I can compare your progress from before and after the days’ lessons. My hope is that you’ll be able to successfully complete the course in 15 seconds or less.”

“‘Or less’? Whatever happened to just ‘15’?” the heroine asked in slight worry.

“When I completed the course yesterday, I was able to finish in 10 seconds,” the bachelor bragged with a straight face.

“O.K. fine, Mr. Perfect Powers,” the young girl pouted.

“In the coming weeks I wish to work with you on simple fighting, and for today, I would like you to go through the course without using ecto-energy and intangibility.”

“Why?” she asked, perplexed.

“In order to be a good fighter, you need to have swift reflexes. What are you going to do if you can’t blast your way out of a problem? What happens if an enemy pins you down or corners you, and you can’t rely on ecto-engery or intangibility to escape? Worst yet, what if you’re unable to use your powers at all? This **has** happened twice before, Danielle.”

Recollection assaulted Dani’s mind. “I know, I know. But when am I gonna learn how to make clones of myself, like you can?”

“Patience, little badger. Rome wasn’t built in a day,” the billionaire explicated with a sly grin.

“Hmph. So it’s the ‘I’ll decide when you’re ready’ treatment, is it?” Dani said as she crossed her arms.

The older man’s grin merely widened in response.

“Frootloop,” the young heroine muttered under her breath.

“Brat,” Vlad remarked, maintaining his grin and raising an eyebrow.

“Hey!” 

“Well, if we’re resorting to name calling,” he said playfully, shrugging.

“What happened to not treating me like a kid?”

“If one wishes to be seen as an adult, one must **act** like an adult,” the bachelor elaborated.

“Then what’s your excuse?”

“I’m an adult. I don’t need one.”

“You’re a hypocrite!”

“And this is news to you?”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Dani resigned herself to defeat once again.

_Twice in one day he’s beaten me. I’m gonna show him!_

“Alright. I’m ready,” she announced, determined to wipe that cocky expression off Vlad’s face.

“Very well,” he replied, reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out the stop watch. Then he placed his free arm behind his back. “Begin at your leisure.”

The ghost girl sailed toward the first group of wooden dummies, punching and kicking them almost cleanly in half. When she approached the flaming hoops, she narrowed her eyes in resolution. Flying through them without issue, she was soon met with the second wave of targets, as well as the lightning generating pegs. This time, she veered, twisted, and ducked out of the way of the beams of voltage, earning her a nod from Vlad.

She ripped through the wooden dummies as if they were paper and was quickly nearing the spot that tripped her up last time. However, when the surprise gelatinous projectile launched in her direction, she took a sharp turn and avoided the offending goo. It splattered against the wall behind Vlad, so he looked over his shoulder at it.

Then Dani reached the other end of the room, triumph coursing through her small body. As a result, she zipped back over to Vlad and hovered above him, desiring to gloat. 

“Oh yeah! Who’s bad? I’m bad! Who’s won? I’ve won!”

The billionaire consulted the stop watch. “Perhaps if you were competing against a snail.” He thrust the plastic device in front of Dani, showing her that she had completed the course in just under a minute.

“Oh come one! That’s not bad, and at least I’m not covered in goo!”

“Take your victories in small strides, I suppose,” he commented, walking over to the table and logging her time into a chart that lay upon it.

“Whatever. At least my powers didn’t fizzle out.”

Dani dropped to the floor and strolled over to her mentor, watching him as he finished cataloguing her run. Then he turned to her.

“Ready to begin you’re basic training?”

“You know it,” she stated while smirking, imitating Rosie the Riveter.

“Good,” Vlad began, transforming into his ghost form. “Then let’s get started.”

He walked over to one the mats and stood tall, balling his gloved hands into fists.

“Attack me.”

Dumfounded, the younger half ghost rose an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I want you to attack me; attack me like you would any foe.”

“Oh…O.K. then…” she said, uncertain. But, she promised herself she’d take him down a peg, so this would be the perfect opportunity to, and she would be a fool to pass this up. Bending down slightly, Dani mirrored a cat waiting to pounce.

And pounce she did.

She flew toward the billionaire, pulling back her arm until she was inches from his broad form. She swung her fist forward, intending to hit him in the chest, but in no time flat, Vlad caught her fist in his palm, stopping her in her tracks.

_Huh?!_

“Hmm. Your technique is a bit slow, ineffective. You’ll want to pay close attention to that.”

“I’ll show you ineffective,” Dani threatened, admittedly losing some of her patience. She had just defeated **Spectra** , and now she was being told her technique was flawed?

She reached out to kick her mentor in the stomach, only for him to halt her attack by grabbing her ankle in his free hand.

“Hey! Leggo!”

“Your blows are sloppy, predictable. The key to winning **any** fight is to remain an enigma to your opponent. You have to catch them off guard, while also observing them closely. Anticipating their movements is critical if you’re to determine where to strike next.”

The half ghost heroine struggled to pull her leg and hand out of the billionaire’s grasp.

“Find a weakness---” he began before shoving his pupil to the ground, with her hitting the mat on her butt. “---and exploit it.”

What he said made sense, but now the ghost girl was more determined than ever to best him; the dull ache in her rear end beckoning her to respond in kind.

“I bet you’re really good at spotting weakness,” she surmised, planting her palms on the mat.

“It’s no secret that I’m quite perceptive, Danielle,” Vlad boasted with a smug expression. “I can read **anyone** like an open book.”

“So, not many people get the drop on you, huh?” she inquired, leaning forward.

“No. Not many,” he declared proudly.

“Except for Ember. She was able to clock you back at her concert,” Dani reminded, adopting a smug look of her own.

The business tycoon’s arrogance faded fast. Now, he looked more akin to a disgruntled child.

“That was merely due to luck.”

“ **Twice**.”

“She was quite lucky,” he grumbled, looking away from his protégé. In that moment, Dani leaped for him, using her palms and legs to propel her forward. With the devil’s speed, she landed a swift punch to the pompous bachelor’s abdomen. The blow knocked him back, sending him to the floor on his back. Thoroughly surprised, he gazed up at the young heroine.

“Was **that** due to luck?”

“How did you----” he started, before a moment of clarity flashed in his ruby orbs. “I see. Quite clever of you,” he praised, grinning.

“You said find a weakness, so I did. You’re way to prideful,” she teased.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” Vlad noted, sitting up.

Then, before Dani knew it, Vlad threw himself at her, tackling her to the ground. Now **she** was the one lying on her back, with the older man pinning her down by her wrists; his black-gloved hands seized them in a vice-like hold. He held himself up by his arms and knees, which supported his back. One of his long legs resided on the left side Dani’s own, while the other was situated between her thighs.

“And **you’re** too easily distracted,” he teased back.

They locked eyes, and suddenly everything was ear-piercingly quiet. The playful banter that had once echoed off the walls of the room was now gone, replaced by a transfixed silence; both the half ghosts appeared to be in a trance, with Dani finding it impossible to divert her gaze from Vlad’s blood red eyes. All at once, she was brought back to the night of their first session together, with her mentor’s heartfelt apology and vaguely sensual departure. The warmth of his breath, his closeness, his words. Now, however, he was much, **much** closer---threatening to engulf her body and soul. Her heart beat like a drum, pounding in her ears. She was sure he could hear it, given how loud it was (and how quiet the room). Her feminine features were bathed in a deep blush, and her stomach had become an Olympic gymnast.

Dani noticed Vlad’s Adam’s apple quiver, suggesting that he had just swallowed. His face wore a look of something the young heroine couldn’t comprehend, for he appeared staggered, and yet he made no move to remove himself from her person.

Her mind buzzed with questions, but at the same time, Dani couldn’t process any of it. She wanted to know what just happened---what **was** happening, and why Vlad had unexpectedly gone silent. She wanted to know why he looked the way he did, and what he was thinking.

However, the stillness of the moment, as well was the billionaire’s stare and her hyperactive nerves, counteracted all other stimuli. As far as she was concerned, the world had stopped spinning; there was nothing else, and **no one** else but she and the man on top of her.

Vlad opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out. Then his red orbs began to soften, no longer exhibiting his apparent surprise. They were warm, inviting, **loving**. Dani could clearly make out her reflection in those eyes.

That was when he started to lean down.

_W-what’s going on?? V-vlad???_

His knee shifted frontward, gently nudging her crotch. Dani’s body jerked at the unexpected touch, and suddenly her throat went quite dry. She tried to speak, but the ability to form a coherent sentence failed her. The teenager could do nothing but observe the businessman as he subtracted the distance between them---his lips now just inches from hers.

_I-is he….is he going to kiss me?_

Such a fantasy had been just that----a fantasy. The young half ghost never believed in her wildest dreams that he would caress her lips with his own. Though she imagined what it would be like, she never thought it would occur in real life! Her brain was going into overdrive; juggling all kinds of thoughts as well as releasing nerve impulses to her muscles, encouraging her to grab him by the neck and pull him down. Whereas her logic, despite being almost nonexistent, was telling her she was reading him wrong. There was no way he was about to kiss her---that was impossible. Perhaps there was a spider in her hair, or maybe a piece of food stuck to her jaw from lunch?

Except she hadn’t eaten lunch.

And if there was a spider, she would be screaming her head off.

Dani could feel his breath on her lips, as he was just a hair’s length away.

A very short hair’s length.

“V-vlad?” she squeaked.

“What?” he purred in a breathless whisper.

_What’s happening? What are you doing? Are you gonna kiss me? What does this mean? What’s happening????_

Regardless of the number of questions whirling around in her sub conscious, she was unable to ask any of them.

“Ah….”

Vlad’s knee dug into her most private area, inciting a startled little yelp from Dani. Then the older half ghost stopped. The teenager saw the surprise return to his features. He also appeared to have stopped breathing.

It was as if he were frozen.

The next several seconds went on without the man moving. It looked like a mix of shock and disbelief had bleed into his face. Then he swallowed again.

Removing himself swiftly, he rose to a sitting up position, supporting all his weight in his knees. His long arms rested at his sides and he cleared his throat.

“Are you alright, Danielle?”

_I don’t know???_

“Y-yeah,” she replied a little too quickly.

“Please forgive me, I…” He paused, as if collecting his thoughts.

“I-its O.K….,” the girl offered, sitting up herself. “You…”

“Yes?”

“Uh…what…what were---no never mind,” she stammered.

Another awkward couple minutes passed, without either one of them saying a word. After all, what was Dani to say? The poor thing was entirely in the dark, and Vlad wasn’t giving any kind of explanation. She wanted to think that he was going to actually kiss her, but how could that be?

_What **was** all that just now? Could he…could he actually **like** me?_

The billionaire cleared his throat again, and stood up straight. He was a looming tower, and the young girl left like a mouse that was about to be pounced on, so she followed his lead.

“Well then…perhaps we should return to work,” the tycoon stated, not making eye contact. Rather, his focus on was the wall next to them.

“Sure…”

The remaining hour was devoted to proper fighting techniques, with Dani feeling extremely self-conscious. Every time Vlad touched her, she broke out into a serious blush and her heart skipped a beat. However, it seemed after a while, her mentor had gathered himself; he was acting in his usual manner not long after they began training again.

Even though the wind outside was chilly, the ghost girl’s face felt flushed. She hid her embarrassment in her hands and tried to convince herself to stop thinking about that day. Whenever she thought about it too much, she would experience a funny feeling down south, and the last thing she needed was to feel that way out in public.

With Casper High steadily approaching, the trio hastened their steps and hurried into the building. Class started in 5 minutes, and they had spent too much time as it were getting ready in the typical sluggish way teenagers did in the mornings. Rushing to 1st period History, the group of friends jogged to their lockers, collected the necessary items, and booked it to the classroom.

 

*********

 

The cafeteria was abuzz with excited whispers and editorial comments. The sound of teenaged chitter chatter reverberated through the expansive space, blending with the clinks of plastic sporks hitting aluminum lunch trays. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on the latest school gossip, and wasted no time in sharing them to their hearts content. Oddly enough, most the sentiments were positive; many people were happy for Dash and Paulina, with many of the boys wishing they were in the blonde jock’s shoes. The girls were equally as envious, but none the less they expressed any ill will toward the school’s most striking cheerleader.

The trio, however, did not share these sentiments.

Sam gazed over at the popular kids’ table, scowling at Paulina and Dash as they conversed.

“Now that’s the definition of ‘disgusting’,” the goth jeered.

“Tell me about it,” Tucker concurred. “I guess rotten attracts evil.”

The teenaged heroine looked up from her lunch, holding a half-eaten hamburger to her mouth.

“Not exactly a match made in Heaven,” she chimed in as she chewed.  

“More like the other place,” the computer geek remarked.

“Totally,” the goth said, nodding, then faced his friends. “I give ‘em a week.”

“I’d say a month. Teen love may not last, but it’s a hassle to break,” Tucker explained.

“With how shallow Paulina is and how dumb Dash is? I don’t think so. I still give them a week.”

Dani swallowed and put her food back on the tray, being sufficiently pulled into the conversation.

“You think teen love is hard to break? I always thought it was kinda fickle. I mean, we’re still just kids when you think about it. We don’t know what we want most of the time, we just **think** we do.”

“Well, it’s ‘cause it’s impulsive, ya know? You’re right, teenagers **are** just kids, but we’re dealing with very mature feelings. We don’t know how to handle them, and many of us end up overwhelmed when in love; we feel like those girls in the movies who are completely head over heels for the guy. We’re addicted to the honeymoon phase of love.”

 The ghost girl contemplated this for a minute. Tucker had a point. Teens were impetuous, and when it came to love, many of them loved the idea of it, more than the real thing. After all, they hadn’t yet experienced the real thing, so it wasn’t entirely their fault. And teenagers were stubborn, so getting them to understand something they think they already do is a problematic task.

Of course, this train of thought inspired an inquiry: What about her own feelings? She believed she was in love with Vlad, but was this due to hormones? Would her affections fade over time? Is what she felt **truly** love?

She knew she felt ecstatic when he was around, she knew she was attracted to him, and she knew that she would gladly fight at his side forever, having done so on two separate occasions.

_Maybe I shouldn’t think about it too much. I know I love him **now** , so thinking about the future is not too important. _

“I’m a little impressed, Tucker,” Sam praised with a smirk. “Where’d you learn so much about the vexing topic of adolescent love?”

“It’s just something I’ve observed, is all.”

“Well, you’ve got a sharp eye, then.”

“And I figure it’s important to keep in mind, especially now,” Tucker said while shifting her gaze to the young heroine.

Dani blinked. “What?”

“Come on dude, you’ve been holding out on us. Who’s the guy?”

If the half ghost had been drinking her milk, she would have spat it all over her friends.

“Huh?!”

The computer geek rested her arms on the lunch table. “When you fought Spectra, she said something about ‘the one you love’.”

“T-that could mean anything!”

“Your face is turning red, dude.”

The girl felt her cheeks with her hands and then aggressively shook her head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she insisted.

Sam rose a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re not very convincing.”

_Crap! What am I gonna do? Do I lie? Should I tell them? No no, that’s not good. Could I tell them that they’re right but **not** say who? No, Tucker’ll just pester me until she gets me to spill. Maybe I **should** just lie, then? _

“Give us the dets, man! Is he cute?” Tucker persisted.

_More like stupidly beautiful._

“Yeah…”

“Is he sexy?” the computer geek asked, wearing a suggestive expression.

“Uh…” She trailed off, her blushing face somehow feeling hotter. For yes, he was incredibly sexy, in **everything** he did. He could be standing completely still, and she would still find him enticing.  

“I knew it! There **is** a guy!”

“Tucker!” the young girl exclaimed, glaring.

“So what’s he like?” Sam questioned, leaning in his elbows. “Does he go to Casper High?”

“Uh…No, not really,” the half ghost muttered, averting her eyes from the goth.

“Is he homeschooled?” Tucker inquired curiously.

“No.”

“Well, where does he go to school?” the geek asked, quite confused.

“He…uh…doesn’t…”

Bewilderment spread across both Sam and Tucker’s faces.

“So…is he truant?” the rebel asked, thoroughly lost.

“Honestly Dani, you should know better,” Tucker admonished, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

“He doesn’t go because he doesn’t have to,” the heroine informed, immediately regretting her choice of words. Now what was she going to say---that the guy she loved was older than her, and risk getting Sam’s infamous “frown of disapproval” and a laugh from Tucker? And then what? Would she have to tell them who it is?

“What do you mean? Like, he’s a genius or something?” the computer geek asked.

_Technically, that **is** true. _

“He’s pretty smart, yeah.”

“Did he graduate high school at 13 or something?” Sam quizzed _._ Something about his tone gave Dani the impression he didn’t believe her.

“No, he just…doesn’t go to school.”

“O.K.…” Tucker paused before continuing her sentence. “Sounds like a bored prodigy to me.”

“Huh?” the goth asked as he turned to the geek.

“You know the type; those who’re too smart for school, so they don’t bother going because its mind-numbingly boring for them.”  

“So, he thinks he’s better than everybody else?” the violet-eyed goth inquired with ice in his tone.

_To be fair, Vlad probably **does** think that on occasion. _

“Look, can we talk about something else?” Dani put forth.

“Have you asked him out yet?” Tucker prodded.

“No! I don’t plan on asking him out.”

“Wait what? Why?”

“Probably because he’s an arrogant prick,” Sam remarked, rolling his eyes.

 “He’s not an arrogant prick!” Dani defended. “He’s really understanding and kind, not to mention helpful and totally reliable!”

“Seems like you’ve got yourself a winner there, Dani,” Tucker noted, nodding her head in approval. “When do we get to meet him?”

“Wha-what?”

“Hold on Tucker, you’re really gonna give this guy a thumbs up just like that?” Sam criticized.

“That’s why we gotta meet him---to get a better idea of what he’s like. I’m just saying that from what Dani has said, he sounds like a decent enough person.”

_Should I tell them they’ve already met him, ‘cause I almost feel like I should._

“When did you meet him, anyway?”

“Uh…almost a month ago.”

“I don’t like this,” Sam began, furrowing his brow. “This seems really suspicious. This guy doesn’t go to school, and you’ve only known him for less than a month?”

“I know right?” the techno geek agreed. “It’s already been almost a full month and you haven’t asked him out yet?”

“That’s not the problem here, Tucker,” Sam said in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“And I said I wasn’t gonna ask him out,” Dani reminded, looking her friend square in the eye.

“How come? Its obvious you’re fond of the guy,” Tucker stated.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do anything about it.”

“Why not? What’s stopping you?”

_I want to be sure Vlad likes me too, and there’s no way I can be sure of that. Unless he tells me, but what are the odds of **that** ever happening?_

“I just don’t plan on it, O.K.? Can we leave it at that?”

Tucker’s face turned sympathetic. “Are you worried about getting rejected?”

_Yes._

“Yes.”

“Well, maybe **I** can ask him for you,” the geek suggested.

“N-no thanks!”

“Well, how much do you like this guy?” Sam questioned abruptly, his eyes serious.

“D-does that really matter?”

“Aw, she’s embarrassed! That means she must like him **a lot** ,” Tucker gushed.

“Do you love him?”

“Sam!” Dani exclaimed in reproach.

The bell rang, reminding the student body that the taxing school day wasn’t over just yet. Teenagers by the dozens rose from their seats, dumping the contents of their lunch trays into nearby garbage cans. Many of them expressed their displeasure by groaning or walking deliberately slow.

For once, however, the younger half ghost was grateful for the strident sound. She shot up from her seat and grabbed her tray with a relieved, but energetic expression.

“Oh gosh, look at that---we gotta get back to class! Don’t want to be late!”

Not waiting for a response from either of her friends, Dani jogged to the trash cans and discarded what remained of her meal. Then before Tucker or Sam could stop her, she fast-walked out of the cafeteria.

 

**********

The remainder of the day was spent attempting to avoid Sam and Tucker’s invasive questions. Not that the ghost girl could blame them; they were genuinely interested in her love life, as it had been unmistakably dull for the last 16 years. Tucker was always one to scope out the details, and Sam seemed concerned about the suitability of her current love interest. They were acting like typical friends, and Dani wouldn’t have them any other way.

Although, being a little less nosy would be nice.

All throughout 5th and 6th periods, the geek and the goth voiced their inquiries by passing notes back and forth, but the young heroine refused to acknowledge any of them, instead shoving the lone piece of loose leaf they used to the corner of her desk, only for Tucker or Sam to reach across the aisle and grab it and write on it once again.

She expected this type of persistence from Tucker, as it was notable enough to be printed on a warning waver. Sam, however, seemed more than a little out of character. Yes, he was the protective type, and would gladly toss aside his nonconfrontational side in order to defend a friend (as he had proved many times over the course of their friendship), but to be overly investigative---to the point of seeming obsessive---was most definitely **not** one of his character traits.

Dani couldn’t help wondering what this meant. As she sat her desk, blankly staring at a French test she hadn’t studied for, her brain entertained the notion that Jazz might be rubbing off on Sam. Since her older sister has been integrated into the team (sort of), the redhead had been spending much more time with the trio; she accompanied them on patrol every so often, and the four of them would spend many long and laborious hours together trekking through the Ghost Zone, trying to get a decent layout of the place. With how much they were together now, it didn’t seem unrealistic for Jazz’s “big sister” mentality to begin influencing her friends, and Sam more so. After all, the rebel had a powerful conviction when it came to the half ghost, and it really come through during their confrontation with Ember. Even if he was under her spell, the heroine was convinced the ghostly idol had merely amplified what already existed, simply using it to her advantage.

In the end, Dani was just grateful her friends cared about her some much, but a little more discretion wouldn’t hurt them too much.

Once the school day came to a close, the young teenager and her companions sauntered out of the building, with the former releasing a massive yawn. Thank the flying spaghetti monster for Fridays.

The trio made their way to the Nasty Burger, Tucker and Sam free to continue their increasingly irritating barrage of questions. Dani tried tuning them out, but they were merciless.

Outside the doors of the restaurant, the half ghost heroine whipped around and scowled.

“Seriously, don’t you guys know when to give up?”

“Hey, I’m just trying to get the specifics, dude. Do you realize how exciting this is? Youe 16-year boyfriend-less streak may finally come to an end!” the techno-geek enthused, clasping one hand over the other and holding them under her jaw dreamingly. Dani rolled her eyes and shouldered one of the doors open.

  Naturally, the place was packed; teenagers of all shapes and sizes flooded the lobby, with a good number of them already in line. Resigning themselves to a 10 minute wait, the trio got in line and, as the young heroine anticipated, had Tucker and Sam breathing down her neck about this guy of hers.

Though she was secretly pleased with the “your guy” comment.

 Finally reaching the front of the line, they placed their orders and got ready to split the bill, when a rowdy commotion caught everyone’s attention. Dash and Paulina had burst through the doors, and as soon as they walked it the jock pushed some poor nerd out of the way.

“Lunch’s on me, babe,” he declared with a confident grin.

“Thanks, **sweetems**! You’re the **best** boyfriend a girl could ask for!” Paulina proclaimed, announcing for all the world to hear. She snuggled up to Dash’s shoulder before Natalie-walking to a booth in the corner---the one in front of the trio’s usual booth.

Before the mass of testosterone could wreak havoc on their persons’ Dani and her friends swiftly walked over to the pick up counter, and as soon as their trays hit it, they made a b-line for their table, Sam glaring Paulina down as they passed.

But it seemed like the cheerleader barely noticed. She was smirking to herself and bobbing her head to the music that was playing on the speakers.

The goth slid into his side of the booth and Tucker followed, taking up the aisle seat. Dani ungracefully shifted herself across from Sam and sat down, quickly looking over the shoulder at Dash.

“So, how long did you give them, again?”

“A week,” repeated the goth, uninterested.

“I dunno dude, did you see that just now? Paulina was all over him for a minute there,” the computer geek said skeptically.

Dani’s baby blue eyes followed the jock as he swaggered over to his table, a single tray in hand. Upon it were a couple of cheeseburgers and a single soda---with **two** straws.

_You’re kidding me, right? How am I supposed to keep my appetite now?_

Dash caught the ghost girl’s gaze, and glared, causing her to wince.

“Mind yer own business, Fenton!”

“Right, sorry!”

Dani slumped back into her seat and grabbed her milkshake, gulping down the Oreo flavored liquid. Then she imagined a similar situation with Vlad; she and him at an amusement or the movie theater, partaking from the same drink in the same manner as Paulina and Dash. It would almost count as an indirect kiss.

She shook the thought from her mind.

Though the evidence was still very much visible.

“Thinking of your man again?” Tucker inquired in a teasing voice.

“N-no!”

“You totally were!” she said with enthusiasm.

“No I wasn’t! And he’s not my man,” Dani maintained, her blush deepening when she repeated the computer geek’s words.

“You know, I agree with Dani, this is getting old,” Sam stated coolly.

“Thank you!”

“Ah come on Sam!” Tucker addressed, turning to the goth. “You’re not the **least** bit interested in Dani’s blooming love life?”

“Not anymore,” he replied bitterly.

“Hey now,” the ghost girl started, fixing her posture. “You don’t have to be rude about it.”

“I thought you didn’t want us getting involved with your business?” Sam questioned before taking a bite of his veggie burger.

“What? No, I never said that…I just wanted to drop the subject, was all.”

The goth looked Dani in the eye, his cold expression lightening up a bit.  “Oh.”

“O.K., fine,” Tucker relented, throwing her arms up. “I’ll quick dragging you to the water, but one of these days, I’ll make you drink from it; you’re gonna have to tell us everything.”

“We’ll see,” the ghost girl mumbled under her breath, taking another sip from her milkshake.

“So, in other news---how about Dash and Paulina, huh?”

Both Dani and Sam groaned, earning them a laugh from the techno-geek.

Then the cheerleader’s voice laughed as well, but it was a very loud laugh---the sort of laugh one gives when they’re compensating for a lack of interest in the conversation, but are too polite (or two faced) to admit it. This warranted another glance, so Dani leaned over and eyeballed the couple from behind her seat, instead of looking down on them like before. Paulina was laughing hysterically, or **pretending** to, and Dash looked more than a bit confused.

“Oh, Dash! That was **so** funny! You’re **hilarious**!

“Yeah, but all I said was Lancer’s class was a snooze fest.”

She bellowed again, this time garnering the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Paulina punched Dash in the forearm playfully, which Dani noted to be an odd thing for her to do. Paulina was the demure type of girl, as well as a subtle one. Her displays of familiar included placing a delicate hand on a friend’s shoulder or arm, in addition to light hugs and gentle brushing of a friend’s hair.

Unless you weren’t in her inner circle, of course.

Dani narrowed her eyes as she observed the couple, the cheerleader finally calming down and wrapping her arms around Dash’s bicep rather dramatically.

_Weird…but not the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen._

That honor went to Jack’s clumsy attempt at making tuna casserole last week. 

None the less, this was definitely a strange sight in its own right.

Suddenly Dani heard a faint buzz from her back pocket. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a metallic pink cellphone and flipped it open. Her prediction about her parents being none too pleased with having to buy her a new phone was right on the money, but it couldn’t be helped---the girl needed a cell phone.

She scrutinized the text message she received, feeling her heart plunged into her stomach:

// _I’m afraid I can’t make next week’s sessions. I have to attend a crucial board meeting that’s being held at the Wisconsin office, and then I have to travel to Colorado to oversee the maintenance on my property there. In the meantime, please work on the techniques I showed you from our lesson a couple weeks prior. I’m terribly sorry Danielle._ //

This was the second time Vlad had canceled their training sessions in the same month. Last week, the billionaire told her he couldn’t make the dates because he was backed up with emails and conference calls. Apparently, his move to Amity Park had been even more disrupting to his businesses than he thought.

The younger half ghost understood his reasons, but she couldn’t stop the crushing disappoint from building in her heart. She hadn’t seen him in a week, and now she wasn’t going to see him until he week **after** next. It was as though he didn’t have enough time for her anymore.

_O.K., **that** totally makes me sound like an overly-clingy girlfriend. I know its only been a few weeks since we started training, but I can’t help it! I have much more free time than he does, so I end up obsessing over it. When I’m not doing homework---O.K., even when I’m doing homework---I can’t wait for our sessions together, and I look forward to them immensely. _

But did Vlad think the same way? Did he too anticipate their sessions together as much as Dani did? And more importantly: was she to blame for his chaotic work load?

The older half ghost told her that he moved to Amity Park in order to be closer to her, so was it reasonable to assume that he was so busy now because of her? Did he begrudge her for it?

_No, Vlad strikes me as a guy who likes to work, and works hard, so I doubt he would be mad at me for something like this. Moreover, he was the one who decided to make the move, and Vlad never does anything without looking at the specifics first; he always analyzes the situation and works out the most logic movements. He knew the risks of moving, he had to._

 Shaking her head of this train of thought, Dani then settled with just her disappointment, letting out a small sigh. Waiting for next next Tuesday would be a pain, but she would trudge on through, not wanting to let her mentor down.

The young girl looked back over her shoulder at Dash and Paulina, who were talking about the up coming football game---scratch that---Dash was talking about the up coming football game, and Paulina was resting her chin in her palm, her elbow holding her up. Her ordinarily sparkling eyes instead reminded the raven-haired teen of cement blocks, just as uninspiring and bland. Her glossed lips were turned into a frown and her brow appeared tense. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she wasn’t enjoying herself, which, was another thing that Dani found odd. Sure, Paulina was by no means a football fanatic, but being a cheerleader meant she was involved with almost everything the team did. Decently, she knew enough about the game, and from time to time, the young half ghost would overhear Paulina and her click chatting about the next game---not enthusiastically mind you, but in a casual making-conversation way.

But given how she looked now, you would think Paulina **despised** football.

“So, what should we do this weekend?”

Dani turned back around at Tucker’s question, her baby blue eyes the last to follow.

“Beats me. I’m down for anything.”

_Anything that may get Vlad off my mind for once._

“Midterms are a couple weeks away,” Sam started after swallowing a bite of veggie burger. “We should focus on studying and making sure we’re all caught up.”

“Typical Sam; always raining in on our parade,” the computer geek remarked.

“If by ‘raining in on our parade’, you mean ‘reality check’, then yes.”

“Well, he **is** a goth, so it kinda comes with the territory,” the ghost girl added.

“Come on! There’s that new movie coming out, and the mall is selling brand new, limited edition Crash Nebula bike helmets! We gotta get on this stuff!” Tucker insisted.

“That movie isn’t going anywhere yet, and those helmets are way over-priced,” Sam refuted.

“That’s ‘cause they’re **limited edition**.”  

Dani took yet another sip of milkshake. Studying was important, of course, but apparently the new movie was one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the year, and sure enough there will be kids at Casper High talking about it, and anyone who doesn’t see it will be labeled as a “loser” or something to that affect.

Studying?

Or social demonization?

“I’m with Tucker. We can afford a bit of leisure time before we hit the books.”

Sam seized his diet soda and nearly crushed the plastic cup. “Fine then, but don’t come crying to me when your grades hit a snag.”

“Don’t be so negative,” the geek admonished with a grin and elbowing the goth in the arm. “In fact, it’s perfectly healthy to have a balanced life of school and fun, as proved by science.”

“Whatever,” the rebel mumbled.

“Hey, are you O.K., Sam? You seem grumpy---more so than usual,” the ghost girl asked in concern.

“Yeah, fine. It’s nothing.”

_Now who’s not being convincing._

Dani was about to push the matter when all three of them heard Paulina bellow again. They looked over to the booth and witnessed the cheerleader slapping the table and holding her gut. Dash looked quite perplexed.

“What the heck is goin’ on over there?” Tucker questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“No idea,” the half ghost answered. “Paulina’s not acting like herself. She’s never this loud.”

“No kidding.”

Paulina leaned into Dash and sighed dreamingly, delighting him with mushy comments and batting her eyelashes at him. The girl may have been narcissistic, but she wasn’t shameless.

“She’s acting like she’s well aware that other people are around,” Dani noted. “Like she **wants** everyone to know.”

“But everyone **does** know,” Tucker reminded.

“So why the antics?”

“Well, **I** know they’re making me sick,” Sam grumbled, putting his half-eaten burger down.

“Hey babe,” Paulina began, putting her chin on Dash’s throwing arm. “Could you get me some fries?”

“But, I thought you were trying a salt free diet?” the blonde jock asked.

“Well…forget that! I’m dyin’ for some fries right now. Please?” She drew out every syllable of her last sentence and flashed him an alluring smile.

“Uh---yeah, s-sure thing, babe,” Dash acquiesced before shuffled passed the cheerleader and swaggering back to the counter.

“Ugh, finally,” Paulina muttered. “I can’t take much more of this.”

“Huh. Looks like she’s getting tried of Dash already,” Dani commented.

“I told you they wouldn’t last long,” the goth gloated, still wearing a frown.

“But it hasn’t even been a full two weeks,” Tucker observed.

Dani watched Paulina as she sighed heavily and rested her cheek in her palm, glancing out the window with a forlorn expression. She was troubled, that much was evident. But somehow it was more than that; Paulina looked downright depressed. She stared out the semi-clean glass with expecting, yet lonely eyes.

“She looks pretty sad,” Dani stated, adopting a worried expression. Her face was eerily reminiscent to one made by those who’re lamenting the adversities of relationships; Paulina looked like the girl who was deeply broken hearted. Dani knew this face all too well, as she had seen it in the mirror many times.

Paulina was lonely, but how could that be? She was in a relationship with Dash.

Dani’s heart felt heavy, and she continued to watch as tears formed in Paulina’s teal orbs.

“I wonder why she’s so upset,” she murmured to herself.

“Wassat? You say something, Dani?” Tucker inquired, her cheeks full of bacon burger.

“No---” her response was a little louder than she intended, and Paulina’s mournful gaze switched to surprise as her head whipped around in the ghost girl’s direction. Then the cheerleader glared and balled her hand (the one her cheek rested on) into a fist.

“What’re **you** looking at?”

“N-nothing! You just…you seemed so sad…”

“And that gives you permission to stalk me?”

“I-I wasn’t stalking you!”

“Just get lost, ghost kid,” Paulina warned before leaning back into her seat and facing the window again.

“I’m sorry---wait---did you just say ‘ghost kid’?” Dani asked, apprehension rising in her very core.

“Why? Did I stutter?” Paulina bit back, blue mist emanating from her eyes.

Utter shock bled into the young half ghost’s features, and suddenly the cheerleader looked panicked, letting out a gasp. She looked over the tops of the booths to see Dash still at the counter; Kwan and Star had arrived, and the two jocks were chatting up a storm. Then Paulina released a sigh of relief and slid back down until she sat on the end of the bench, her shoulders hunched.

Her teal orbs found Dani still watching her, and still looking just as freaked.

“Chill. It’s not what you think,” Paulina deadpanned.

When Dani didn’t respond, the cheerleader sighed again, but this seemed far more than the general exhale.

“The girl doesn’t know your secret.”

Then the young heroine furrowed her brow. “Wait…so--- **you’re** not Paulina?” she questioned while pointing her index finger in her direction.

“Yeah, and keep your voice down, will you?” not-Paulina scolded. “I don’t need you blowing my cover.”

“So…so you’re overshadowing her; you’re a ghost!”

“I told you to keep you’re voice down!”

“What’s this about a ghost?” the techno-geek inquired curiously from her soda.

“Not now, Tucker,” the half ghost said, turning her head but not her eyes.

“A ghost?” Sam chimed in.

“Good Ghost Zone,” not-Paulina remarked in exasperation. “Will you just leave me alone?”

Dani narrowed her eyes and rose. “I can’t do that.” She stepped over to the other booth and stood over the imposter. “You’re invading a human’s body, and I can’t let that slide.”

“Oh yeah? What’re gonna do about it? We’re surrounded by witnesses; you can’t do anything,” she smugly pointed out.

“Too bad for you, I’m a nobody---no one will notice me missing.”

“What do you----?”

Before not-Paulina could finish her sentence, Dani turned invisible and grabbed her by the shoulders, thus turning her invisible as well. Then the ghost girl dragged the possessed cheerleader by the collar out of the booth and into the girl’s bathroom, leaving Tucker and Sam feeling quite lost.  

Turning visible again, both girls glared at each other, with Dani placing her hands to her hips.

“Get out of Paulina, **right now** ,” she demanded, crossing her arms.

“As if **you** scare me, ghost girl. Besides, I ain’t hurting anybody.”

“No one except Paulina. Now, we can do this the easy way,” she began, before white rings engulfed her body, transforming her into Dani Phantom. “Or the hard way.”

Blue mist poured from not-Paulina’s teal orbs again, but then those irises turned red and she fired a sky-blue energy blast at the half ghost heroine. The attack knocked the teenager into the sinks, and before she could recover, the imposter flew through the ceiling.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Dani soared after the imposter and managed to cut her off a few feet above the roof. The sun was starting its decent below the horizon, bathing the Nasty Burger and Amity Park in a warm orange glow. It was the kind of sunset that romantics adored, and the young half ghost would have too, if not for the mysterious hijacking of Casper High’s resident Mean Girl.

“You can’t keep this up,” she warned.

“I’ll do whatever I want! I’ll do whatever it takes to get back at him, that no-good rat bastard!”

“Huh?” the ghost girl asked, raising an eyebrow in bafflement.

“You don’t understand!” not-Paulina screeched. “You’ll never understand!”

The young heroine blinked several times in rapid succession. When her eyes trailed down to Paulina’s hands (which were balled into **very** tight fists), she noticed a small golden ring with a large emerald stone.

Her face morphed into that of realization with hints of lingering confusion. “ **Kitty**?”

Not-Paulina ignored Dani and went on with her rage induced tirade. “He’s a complete douchebag who doesn’t respect my feelings at all! He gawks and stares at all the other girls in this stupid town and has the nerve to tell me I’m over reacting! That---that---that asshole!”

“Are you talking about Johnny 13?”

“Who else would I be talking about?! He’s the most insensitive guy in the entire Ghost Zone and I just wish he weren’t already a ghost so I could kill him myself!”

“Wait, let me get this straight; you’re overshadowing Paulina, who’s dating Dash, in order to make Johnny jealous since he made you jealous when he paid attention to human girls?”

Kitty blinked. “Wow. I’m surprised you figured that out.”

“Come on people, I’m not that dumb!” Dani shouted to the sky.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. He hasn’t noticed. I doubt he even knows I’m gone,” Kitty lamented, the pain showing on Paulina’s flawless face.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Dani started, looking back at the ghostly dame. “I bet he’s looking all over for you.”

“And what makes you say that? You don’t know him,” she said with venom in her voice.

“Because he nearly sacrificed my older sister to bring you into my world. Human’s don’t matter to him when he has you.”

Kitty appeared to contemplate this for a minute. “He’s definitely not showing that now, though,” she stated, frowning. Then she descended to the roof, all the fight in her gone. Paulina’s feet hit the rough surface and the blue mists vanished, but the red in her eyes remained.

Dani lowered herself to Kitty’s level and wore an expression of sympathy.

“I’m not gonna fight you, ghost girl. The one I’m mad at his Johnny, not you. It’s pointless to take my anger out on you when it doesn’t really fix anything.”

“I…appreciate that, Kitty,” the young heroine said awkwardly.

“It just sucks, you know?” she started before plopping herself down on the roof and crossing her legs. “Being in love is a real pain in the ass.”

“Trust me, I can relate,” the teenager exhaled as she joined Kitty by hovering across from her, her knees bent.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m in love too, and it’s not exactly ideal,” Dani admitted as her neon green eyes met Paulina’s own teal ones.

“Heh, guess we have that in common, although it’s a little different for me. I can’t help it.”

“Well sure. You love Johnny, so it’s not easy to just let it go.”

“No, it’s a bit more complicated that than,” Kitty stated in a crestfallen tone. 

“I guess so. The heart is pretty complicated.”

“Yeah---the **heart**.”

The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes, and the young half ghost couldn’t help but wonder about the current situation---after all, she was sitting with one of her enemies, one who nearly caused her to loss Jazz forever. Hero protocol dictated that she drag her out of Paulina and haul her back into the Ghost Zone, but at the moment, Dani didn’t care about that. Which, yes, she found to be odd, but she chalked it up to empathy among longing girls. Kitty was dealing with relationship issues and she was at her lowest. To respond in retribution for Jazz would be cruel at this point.

The ghost girl understood what it was like to have one’s heart completely shattered. She also knew what it was like to react emotional to every little thing when in love.

_You feel things in the extremes, even if it doesn’t make total sense. The problem is, it makes sense to us, but sometimes it doesn’t. That’s why the war between the heart and the head will never be won._

“I suppose it’s different for you too, Dani. You’re half human, so you’re probably in love with some other kid. One from you’re school, maybe?” Kitty inquired, lifting Paulina’s head up and meeting Dani’s gaze.

“Nope. It’s actually complicated for me, too.”

“Wait…are you in love with a ghost?” she asked while leaning back on Paulina’s arms.

“Kinda…?”

_Well, technically, he’s **half** ghost. _

Kitty eyed her with interest. She cocked Paulina’s head to the side and didn’t reply for a minute or two. It was rather curious, whatever was going on between them. It was comfortable, despite them being adversaries. Or maybe it was because they only fought the once? Perhaps the ghost girl didn’t have enough negative experiences with Johnny and Kitty to form a grudge?

One thing was clear; the ghostly dame had been around the block regarding matters of the heart.  

“Can I ask you something?” the heroine asked.

“Shoot.”

“When you’re in love, do you have a---you know---a nagging desire? Like an instinctual longing to be around the person you care about?”

Kitty sat up and folded Paulina’s arms. “Of course, even if I wish I didn’t right now.”

“You mean, you have it even now?”

“Sure. I’m still pissed at Johnny, but I’ll always love him. Like I said, I can’t help it. Unfortunately, he could go behind my back---betray me in the worse way possible, and my feelings would never change. That’s probably the one thing humans have over us ghosts.”

The younger half ghost looked confused as she bobbed there, floating just inches off the roof’s surface.

“What’s that?”

“The fact that you can move on; you can go from partner to partner without being tethered to one soul for the rest of your existence. Scratch that---that’s two things humans have over ghosts; you don’t have to spend eternity with the same jerkwad.”

“It’s sounds like your saying that ghosts can’t break up with each other and go out with other ghosts,” the teenager stated with skepticism in her tone.

 “Well, technically we **can** , but we can’t stomach it. We end up pinning for our One and Only, and we’re never able to truly move on. It sucks, kid, it really does.”

“Does it hurt? Physically?”

Kitty looked up, clearly struck dumb by the question. “Huh?”

“Do you feel like you’re burning from the inside out? Do you get unbearably overheated and nothing can cool you off, even if an air conditioner is on?”

The ghostly dame blinked numerous times. “No.”

Dani’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”

“Uh---yeah. I’ve never heard of **any** ghost that goes through that.”

“What? But I thought for sure this was a ghost thing!” the half ghost cried in frustration, once again throwing her arms in the arm, only to fold them afterward and sport a deep frown.

“What thing?” Kitty inquired, uncrossing Paulina’s arm and letting them rest in the cheerleader’s lap.

“I’ve been calling it ‘The Need’. It’s a crazy painful burning sensation I get when I’m not around the guy I like for long periods, or if I think about it---or him---too much. But it’s also random; sometimes it pops up totally out of the blue, and there’s no way to stop it. I can’t cool down when ‘The Need’ hits, and I usually have to wait it out.”

The ghostly dame broke eye contact and moved her mouth to the side, bringing a fist to her lips and letting out a _hmm_.

“My friends know about it, but I haven’t told them what causes it. Its way too embarrassing,” the ghost girl confessed.

“It sounds a lot like what we ghosts feel emotionally…” Kitty pondered out loud.

“I’m sorry?”

Kitty lowered Paulina’s hand slightly and gazing back at Dani. “What you described; it sounds like a physical manifestation of what we feel inside. We don’t actually **burn** , but we long for our One and Only and compare it to burning.”

“So…it **is** a ghost thing?”

Kitty paused again. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say your experiencing this because you’re half human.”

Dani softly touched the coarse surface of the roof with her knees. “How do you figure that?”

“What you said sounds exactly like what we ghosts feel, but we don’t feel it in the physical sense, because we have incorporeal forms, or ectoplasmic bodies. But your body isn’t ectoplasmic all the time. When ‘The Need’ strikes, are you in this form or your human one?”

Dani’s eyes widened. It all made sense now! What she had been experiencing had been otherworldly in nature, but was completely unique to her since she was only half ghost!

“I was always in my human form!” she said with realization leaking from her tone.

“So…do you get it now?”

“Yeah! Thank God! And here I thought there was something wrong with me,” the teenager admitted while rubbing the back of her neck.

“Nope, you’re just a little odd,” Kitty teased.

“I guess so…” she laughed shyly.

“But that has to suck ass,” Kitty began. “Being in emotional pain over a One and Only is bad enough, but having to go through a literal experience like that? By the Ghost King, I don’t envy you there.”

“Yeah, it isn’t exactly a walk in a flowery meadow,” the heroine concurred, nodding her head. Then, another inquiry jumped to mind. “Say, that’s the third time you’ve said ‘One and Only’. What is that, like a ghost mate or something?”

The ghostly dame chuckled. “Basically. They’re like our bonded partners. See, ghosts have someone they’re attracted to, whether they’ve met them or not. It’s almost like destiny. Humans have a similar concept---uh---'the soulmate’, if that makes things any easier.”

“I think I understand,” Dani started as she slid into a different sitting position. “But your soulmates last forever, whereas ours can be more than one person---well, some people would argue that, I guess.”

“Humans have multiple ideas of love, but we ghosts have only one; we have a One and Only, a person we’re tied to before we’re even aware of it. Some of us know, but for others it takes hundreds of years to meet them, and some don’t even want to.”

“Do all ghosts have a ‘One and Only’?” the young heroine asked curiously.

“I’m not sure, but I think a good number of them do. And guess what sweetheart---you’re one of them.”

“I-I am? Wait…I guess I would be, huh?”

“Sure are. But that’s pretty interesting, what with you only being **half** ghost,” Kitty observed.

 “Good point.”

_Does Vlad have a One and Only too?_

Suddenly, dread flowed through the young heroine’s veins. If the older man **did** have a One and Only, who was it? Was it a ghost she knew? Was it some random ghost residing in the deepest depths of the Ghost Zone?

Could it be **her**? Could **she** be Vlad’s One and Only?

Perhaps this was wishful thinking, but now she **had** to know.

“H-hey Kitty,” she began, trepidation evident in her tone. “Do ghosts’ One and Onlys match? What I mean is…if ghost A’s One and Only was ghost B, would ghost B’s One and Only be ghost A?”

She looked contemplative for a moment, inspiring more apprehension in Dani’s core. The fact that Kitty had to even **think** about it was worrying in of itself! 

“I’m not sure. My only experience with this is from being with Johnny, as well as what I’ve heard. But those I’ve talked to about it were already with their One and Onlys.”

“Oh…”

_So there’s no way of knowing?_

“But hey, you never know,” Kitty said optimistically.

“That’s true, but…” Dani trailed off. It was nice of the ghostly dame to offer comfort, and it did make the ghost girl feel better, but her mood was far from improved. Now she would have this nagging doubt at the back of her mind, without having the means to silence it. She hugged her knees to her chest then, her expression quite melancholy.

Were it only this, however. The young heroine suddenly remembered that the billionaire would be missing in action for another week.

Dani planted her forehead on her kneecaps.

“You were right.”

“Hmm?” Kitty verbalized as she cocked Paulina’s head.

“Being in love sucks.”

She chuckled again. “Well, it’s not all bad. I mean, when it’s good, its **real** good.”

“Tell me about it,” the young heroine began, lifting her head and resting her chin on her knees. “I’m so happy when I’m around him, and whenever he compliments me, I feel like I’m Zeus or something.”

“Ha! I get the feeling,” Kitty sympathized.

“I mean, he’s perfect to the point of being illegal! He’s so kind and patient, not to mention considerate and compassionate. Not too hard on the eyes, either.”

“Sounds like your man’s a winner,” the ghostly dame observed with a grin.

“He’s not ‘my man’,” Dani started, a slight blush creeping its way into her features. “And my friend Tucker said the same thing. I think the world of him, but it kills me that I don’t know if he thinks of me the same way.”

“Welcome to the club, kid,” Kitty sighed as she flopped onto Paulina’s stomach, folding the cheerleader’s arms to support herself.

“‘Cept Johnny cares a heckava lot about you, I’m sure of it. I saw it 4 months ago.”

“Yeah---‘4 months ago’,” Kitty replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Why don’t you talk to him? If he’s your One and Only, you should work things out with him, right?”

Kitty looked at the Nasty Burger’s big neon sign, furrowing her brow. “He’s a jerk.”

“But you love him.”

Those red eyes, which had reflected her silent fury, gave way to a much softer light. Then, unexpectedly, the ghost rose from out of Paulina’s back, and the cheerleader fell limp. Kitty looked no different than she had 4 months ago; she wore a red blazer and matching mini skirt, paired with green fishnet stockings and black riding boots, in conjunction with a black crop top, purple scarf, and a necklace sporting a bold emerald. Her hair was green and wild, but in the sexy rebel-with-a-cause kind of way, and her lipstick and eyeshadow were a rich violet, complimenting her pale green skin well.   

She drifted over to the edge of the roof and lowered herself so that she was sitting on it with her legs dangling. The autumn wind carried her green tresses in a carefree breeze, the image reminding Dani of a lonely maiden waiting for her prince charming---just as graceful and sad.

The ghost girl, after making sure Paulina was still breathing, walked over to Kitty and joined her on the edge. She started swaying her legs back and forth as she turned to her company.

“You’re also right,” the ghostly dame acknowledged.

“Huh?”

“I do love him.”

Dani smiled and looked down toward the street, seeing groups of teenagers pour out of the restaurant. They were most likely headed home to work on homework, or to the mall for some much needed shopping therapy. The young heroine surmised that the popular kids were making their way to some big party, judging by the excited squeals from the girls and keen chitter chatter among the boys. When she didn’t see Dash, the ghost girl was admittedly impressed. It looked like he hadn’t abandoned his girlfriend in favor of going to another party.

_What a gentleman. He gets a cookie._

“But your guy sounds much more considerate,” Kitty noted. “Wanna trade?”

“No! And he’s not ‘my guy’,” Dani said, her head whipping back over to Kitty. Her snow white hair flying over her shoulder when she did this.

“With any luck, he will be.”

The teenager smiled to herself and looked at the street again. “Hopefully.”

“So who is he, anyway? Anyone I know?”

“I don’t know, and I’m not sure I want to tell you,” the half ghost said playfully.

“Ah come one! We’re basically BFFs now!”

“Uh uh. It’s a secret,” Dani winked.

Kitty sighed in defeat and dropped her shoulders, but smiled none the less. They looked at each other for a moment before the teenager asked: “Where you being serious just now? About being BFFs, I mean.”

The ghostly dame tilted her head slightly, allowing the sun’s fading orange glow to peek through her hair.

“We only fought the once---4 months ago---and its’ not like I have a grudge against you or anything. Its more on Johnny’s end; he’s still a bit sore from last time.”

“Oh, because I’m a girl and I kicked his butt?” Dani asked mischievously.

“No, it’s ‘cause you’re **you** and you kicked his butt,” Kitty responded with a smirk.

 The young half ghost barked. “Makes sense.”

“I like this, Dani, I really do. You n’ me just talkin’ like we’ve known each other for years. You’re not half bad, halfa.”

Said halfa beamed. “Thanks. You’re pretty cool yourself, Kitty.”

The ghostly dame stretched her arms up in the air, straining as if she actually had bones to crack. The heroine felt a warmth kindle in her heart. It would appear she had made a new friend today.

“Well, since you’re **so** right, I think I’ll go find Johnny after all. I’m still pissed at him, but he’s my One and Only, and I’m his. I guess…I guess I **was** over reacting a bit. I’ll hear him out, at least.”

“That’s the spirit!” the teen enthused.

Kitty rose, standing in mid air and facing the ghost girl. “Thank you. For real.”

“All in a day’s work,” Dani proclaimed.

“Well, keep it up. You know, along with the sick ass kicking.”

“Will do!”

Then Kitty glanced over Dani’s shoulder, eyeing the still unconscious Paulina.

“By the way, she’ll come to any time now. I’ve overshadowed her all day, but it won’t be long before she strength comes back.”

“Yeah. I’ll take her home,” the young heroine stated, looking at the cheerleader.

“Coolio,” Kitty began before drifting a few feet away. “And one of these days, you’re gonna havta tell me about your man! I wanna know all about him!”

“Then you’ll have to tell me how your talk with Johnny goes! And maybe the three of us can hang out together, just as long as Johnny doesn’t cause trouble!”

“No guarantees!” Kitty yelled with a wide smile as she sailed away into the blushing twilight. The half ghost heroine watched until she was out of sight, and then proceeded over to Paulina’s perfectly hour-glass form (damn her) and threw her over her small shoulder. Turning intangible, she sunk into the roof’s floor and poked her head out of the ceiling of the restaurant, seeing Dash sitting at his booth with his leg fidgeting nervously. Poor guy looked like he had restless leg syndrome.

Taking pity on him, Dani hovered over to his table and quickly deposited Paulina next to him, thus turning her tangible again. The jock’s face lit up when he saw her, and then the cheerleader opened her eyes. Though lethargic, it was clear she was happy to see him too.

Satisfied, Dani then looked over to her booth, and found Sam and Tucker still there; concern and impatience imbedded in their features.

_I have the greatest friends in the entire friggin’ world._

She crept over, making sure to stay low to the ground, Snaking back into her seat, she turned tangible again and transformed back into Dani Fenton.

“Hey guys!”

Both teenagers delighted in her presence.

“Dani! Where were you?” Tucker inquired.

“What happened with Paulina?” Sam asked, shifting in his seat.

“Taken care of. Turns out it was Kitty---Johnny 13’s girlfriend. She was trying to make him jealous.”

“Well, I can’t think of a worse guy to do that with,” the computer geek said matter-of-factly.

The heroine laughed, “Tell me about it! But in the end, it all worked out. I had a talk with Kitty, and I think we’re friends now.”

“Well look at you! You’re not so much Amity Park’s superhero, but more of a Ghost World diplomat,” Tucker proclaimed with a grin.

“I’m glad you were able to settle it,” Sam started, sliding over to Tucker as a signal to leave. As the two got out of the booth, Dani followed, grabbing her backpack as she went.

“Me too. I think fists and ecto-energy would’ve just made it worse.”

“Yeah, and Sam here was insistent that we stay put! He didn’t want to leave without you,” the techno-geek added.

“I figured,” Dani replied with a grateful smile.

 As the trio left the Nasty Burger, the young heroine felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Producing the cellular device, she noticed a text notification on the small pixelated screen. Flipping the phone open, she wondered if maybe Jazz or her parents were trying to get in touch with her. It was only 7 o’clock, so she still had 3 hours to make it home in time for curfew.

But the text was from neither Jazz or Jack and Maddie.

 // _I have some good news. My meeting with the Board of Directors has been postponed, so I can train you on Thursday. I still have to go to Colorado on Monday, but I’ll be back in Amity Park by late Wednesday evening. I apologize for any inconvenience, little badger. I look forward to seeing you again._ //

She nearly screamed, but was able to stifle her excitement, instead emitting a tiny squeal. So she had something next week to look forward to, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> And for those that are wondering, yes, Johnny did feel bad about hurting Kitty's feelings. He was actually just admiring what the human girls were wearing, thinking that their outfits would look amazing on Kitty. I was going to add this in...but forgot xD


End file.
